Paint Schoodic

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Thursday, July 14, 2011

How to set up a field sketch, for my students' edification

Cottage at Sea Breeze, 12X16" oil sketch

This is for my students... a primer in setting up a painting. This is not a finished painting, and it's probably a bit on the "tight" side since I was doing it solely to demonstrate how I want them to work tomorrow, but so be it.

My goal was to finish this in three hours, including set-up and tear down, since that's what I expect of them.

I did a sketch in watercolour pencil; then followed that by blocking in the darks.

Then I blocked in the major shapes, working from dark to light, in the right values and hues.

Then I added such details as I was able to finish in the time allotted.

Done in 2 hours, 45 minutes, actually. Would have put the fence details in with a rigger brush but I forgot to bring it. And it was time to go canoeing with my kids.